Bela Fleck does it again

What he does with a banjo is just amazing.

It's 5:09AM and....

There are just some things a woman shouldn't have to do this early in the morning. Our sweet precious cat, who belongs to our youngest, is a fierce hunter. She lays low in the outback that is our back yard and stealthily stalks her prey.

This morning, I happened to be in the kitchen pouring my first cup of coffee when I heard the great hunter come in through the animal door. Lo and behold there she was with a BIG FAT RAT in her mouth.

She was SO proud. She tried to put it at my feet in adoration.

I had other thoughts. I shooed her outside toot-sweet. She played with it for a moment, I guess hoping it would come alive and play back. Who knows why cats play with their food? I came back in the house and sat down to read the news and enjoy my coffee.

She had other thoughts. In she came very quietly. I knew she was in the house only by the jingle of the tags on her collar. I went to to check and didn't see the BIG FAT RAT at first. I think she was laying on it trying to hide it. It showed up after I walked back in the room from checking the bathroom which is where she usually deposits her kills. I guess she thinks it would be easier to clean up in there. After all, butcher shops are tiled.

Anyway, I picked it up with gloves on and took it to the trash.

In my underwear. God love my neighbors.

I'm pretty sure it was a male.

No female has anything that big between her legs.

I picked it up by its tail which is how I caught a glimpse of that package.

God love the females.

Ducks and stuff

I was heading to Home Depot yesterday to get propane refills and while driving down a midtown street--in the heart of midtown, mind you--what do I see crossing the road? A mama, daddy and 4 baby ducks. Kid you not. Out for a Saturday afternoon stroll. I had to wave down an on-coming truck so the wouldn't get hit. They wandered up in someone's backyard I guess because I saw no sign of them on my drive home.

is that good luck? Should be. They were mallards, I think. Don't those have the green heads?

I went fishing with a friend yesterday afternoon. We caught 3 hand-sized perch. My fishing buddy called them shell crackers. I've never heard of that. I've only heard of sun perch or bull gill bream. I'm guessing they're the same thing, just a different name. We gave them to an older couple that was fishing and had a stringer almost full. Not really worth it to clean 3 fish. We're looking for someplace better to go. I think no matter what, if we want better catches we're going to have to get a boat. Just a 2 person fiberglass would be great.

It's quiet in the house right now. The oldest is away at computer camp. My SO and youngest drove up yesterday to pick him up. The youngest had Kendo practice this morning and the oldest is released at 4. They'll drive home and chaos will once again rule supreme in this household.

The silence takes me back to when we lived separately. I enjoyed it but found that I got bored and restless and would find things to do that would sometimes cause me trouble. Like a home improvement project or a half-baked attempt at gardening. I love my family but there's heartache associated with it. The 15 year old has developed an attitude and the 13 year old his honing his. It's exhausting. Not to mention trying to make sure the SO is still able to handle them and everything that comes with it.

All I really want is peace. And to win the lottery. That wouldn't suck because then I could move to peace. Boarding school is a wonderful thing.

I need to go iron. And thaw something for dinner. And take a nap.